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May 18,2008


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Asheville Boys and Girls Club Visits Montreat College

The varsity soccer teams at Montreat College welcomed 50 children from the Asheville Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club to a soccer clinic Thursday afternoon. The children, ages six to thirteen, spent an hour meeting the players, practicing simple drills, and playing at the soccer field on Montreat’s Black Mountain campus. Brian Guengerich, Unit Director for the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club, organized the clinic with Montreat College’s Athletic Director, Jonathan Bennett. Guengerich hoped to give the kids an experience they normally wouldn’t have. “Letting people know we are here and really interacting with the community are big factors when we plan events for our kids. Ninety percent of our kids really don’t know what it’s like to experience getting together with a group of friends in a setting like this.

These teams at Montreat College are more like a family in a sense, and the Christian identity at Montreat is something we want our kids to enjoy. That’s one of the biggest reasons we wanted to come out to Montreat,” he said.
Michael Combs is the interim Head Coach for the men’s soccer team and led the activities for the boys yesterday. He said, “Our team enjoyed it just as much as the kids did. We had a drill session and then I got in there and did a little dance, and asked the boys if they had moves, and some of them got up there and danced. Our guys were giving them beats and we all laughed – it was awesome. We had kids that have never played soccer before, so it was a great chance to promote this sport we love. I think that some of them will come back on Saturday for our Homecoming game, which would be great.”
 
Dan Woerner, Head Coach for the Lady Cavaliers, watched his team enjoy the break from normal practice yesterday and relax with the girls that came. He said, “Anytime you get college students to take some time and invest themselves in kids’ lives is awesome.”
 
The Asheville Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club is one of more than 4,000 Club locations worldwide, which have served nearly five million children. The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” The Asheville Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club was started in 1991. They host a variety of activities and programs for local children, including a summer camp that serves 60 – 70 kids every year. They also have a growing after school program with an enrollment goal of 90 children. In addition, they have just opened an extension at Johnston Elementary in Asheville, as well as a Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Teen Center at the Carver Community Center in Black Mountain.
 
Montreat College is a Christ-centered liberal arts institution with its main campus for four-year traditional students in Montreat. The accelerated School of Professional and Adult Studies program has campuses in Asheville, Charlotte, and Black Mountain, with courses being taught in Cherokee, Murphy and other NC locations.
 

Written By: Michael DeChane
Posted By: Tom McMurtry
Date Posted: 9/28/2007
Number of Views: 1229

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